Roof-framing rule



(No Model.)

A. G. DAHMER.

ROOF FRAMING RULE.

No. 499,521. Patented June 13,1893.

rUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTGDAHMER, OF ALAMEDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEflHIRD TO FREDRIOK EIOHENHOFER, OF LOS ANGELES, OALlFORNlA.

ROOF-FRAMING RULE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,521, dated June 13, 1893.

Application tiled February l2, 1892. Serial No. 421,264. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, AUGUST G. DAHMER, of Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Roof-Framing Rules, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a rule especially adapted for use in framing the roofs of build- 1o ings, and has for its object to so construct the rule that the pitch and run of the rafter being known, the 'altitude and the length of the rafters may be expeditiously, conveniently and accurately read; and the invention consists in the novel construction of the rule and in the combination of its parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the vlews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the reverse side z 5 of the rule. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partially in perspective, of the obverse side. Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of one end of the rule, illustrating the obverse side of said end, the slide being moved to show the scale at the extremity; and Fig. 1t is a perspective view of a portion of the rule, showing the end scale upon the obverse side, and the slide as carried from the rule.

The body of the rule A, may be made of any approved material, such as wood or metal, and may be of any desired dimensions. One end of the rule is thicker than the remaining portion, whereby projected faces 10 and 11, are formed at each side. At the opposite end of the rule a slide 12, is loosely mounted upon the body, capable of being removed therefrom if desired, and of being carried over the faces of said body to the projected faces 10 and 11 when necessary. The slide 12, maybe of any suitable or approved construction, and consists ordinarily of a block having an opening from side to side to receive the body of the rule, and outwardly projected arms 13, at top and bottom to guide it truly over the faces of the body and prevent it from assuming` a diagonal position.

Each side of the rule is provided with scales longitudinally produced thereon, one beneath the other, the scales being graded or graduated in accordance with certain pitches of the roof. The scales are produced in feet and inches, and the series at each side may consist of any desired number of scales.

In the rule shown in the drawings there are seven scales upon each side, thc first scale be- 6o ing designated as 14, the second as 14D, the third as 11, the fourth as 'if-i, the fifth 14, the sixth letf and the seventh Mt'. Upon the projected face 10 on the reverse side of the rule seven spaces are produced, a space forming practially a continuation of each of the scales. In the first space the fraction 9,- and the words Height rafter are produced and in the second hip rafter, the third space contains 21,- common rafter, and in the 7o fourth space the word Run is produced; in the fifth space common rafter is printed or produced, and in the two remaining spaces hip rafter is produced upon the upper, anc g height rafter7 upon the lower, the frac- 7 5 tions referring to the pitch of the roof.

The spaces upon the projected face 1l at the obverse side of the body contain the following matter in the order enumerated: height rafter; ,515 hip rafter; common 8o rafter, Rung common rafterg hip rafter; Lg height rafter. Upon the reverse side of the slide spacings are produced corresponding to those upon the reverse projected face 10 and containing the following matter 85 in the order specified: 9,- pitch height of rafter; f5 pitch hip rafter; pitch common diagonal rafter, Run of rafter, pitch common rafter; L- pitch hip rafter; pitch height of rafter. Upon the obverse 9o side of this slide this matter is arranged in the following order: 2- pitch height of rafter; T55 pitch hip rafter; pitch common rafter, Run of rafter;77 pitch common rafter, 1Q pitch hip rafter; 33, pitch height 95 of rafter.

Upon the reverse side of the square or rule, at the end over which the slide is entered,- opposite the upper scale 14 the following mat ter is produced: Octagon faceg opposite the roo second scale lib this matter is produced,- --g- P. L. (plumb level), -T T (top cut); op-

posite the third scale 14C this matter appears: 'fg- P. L., $6 5; opposite the fourth scale 14d the phrase Octagon center, is produced; opposite the fifth scale 14@ the following matter is printed: fig P. L. TSU I. J., and opposite the sixth scale lllf this matter is arranged, na1nely,-f,A P. L., fi- 2. At this end of the body of the rule, upon the obverse side opposite the second scale thereon 14h, the following matter is printed: 24 P. L., T; opposite the third scale 14C this matter appears: 1455- P. L., 1l-5;@ diagonal opposite the fifth scale 14 this matter is produced: fig P. L., T. J.; opposite the sixth scale lef the matter Y1-Q P. L., $5 l0 T is arranged. Now the run of the rafters and the pitch having been determined upon, the length of the rafters maybe obtained expeditiously, conveniently and accurately, as heretofore stated by moving the slide 12 over the body of the rule. Supposing the run of the rafter is eight feet andthe pitch one-third; the slide is moved over the body of the square or rule until the inner edge or margin of the slide at the space containing the Words Run of rafter registers with the figure 8 which is the run required. The height or elevation of the rafter will be read on the lower scale opposite J5 pitch height of rafter upon the slide. It will be observed that the reading of this scale will be live feet, four inches, and the length of the common rafter will be nine feet, eight inches, and the length of the hip rafter twelve feet, six inches.

Other pitches of roofs than those illustrated may be used upon or added to this rule, upon the same principle as herein set forth, and the rule maybe extended to anylength,with corresponding lengths of rafters to the number of spaces in feet and inches, and the slide 12 can be left at any point on the rule and the corresponding lengths and heights of both common and hip rafters can be read on the rule at the bevel edge of the slide.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A roof framing rule A having a central longitudinal line of graduations indicating the run of a rafter in feet, and fractions thereof, series of parallel grad nations at opposite sides of said Iirst graduation and each indicating dierent pitches, heights, and lengths of either hip or common rafters or fractions thereof, Without calculation, the said series of graduations being relatively arranged with respect to the central line of graduations but independent of each other, to give the entire lengths and cuts of the entire set of said rafters, and a slide mounted on the rule to align any one of the graduations of the run of the rafter with one or more of the desired graduations on opposite sides thereof, and said slide hearing indications similarto said indi cation at the beginning or end of the rule substantially as described and in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

AUGUST G. DAHMER.

Witnesses:

HENRY MILLER, JOHN W. REW. 

